Eighteen trailblazers headed to Flagstaff on August 10 for the O’Leary hike, to avoid the heat in Phoenix. We gathered at Sunset Crater National Monument at the O’Leary Trailhead for this exciting hike.

O’Leary peak is a lava dome volcano, which was created by tons of small bulbous masses of lava that was too viscous to flow to a great distance, so it piled up to form the dome. Near its south side is the Sunset Crater, that was also a volcano which erupted from a single vent that ejected particles and blobs of congealed lava to form a cinder cone.

I had been thinking about this hike for a while. Since a few of us are going to do a Rim to Rim hike at the Grand Canyon in September, I thought this trail would be a good conditioning hike before our trip.

After a short introduction, we took a detour to a lava formation on the right side of the O’Leary Trailhead. Michael had hiked on this trail a few times, so he showed us the way. Everyone was excited to see the piled up black lava flows. Debbie and Chris climbed to the top of the dome to get a closer look while the rest of us stayed at the bottom, taking pictures and enjoying mother nature’s creation. Along the edges of the lava formation there are some small aspens, ponderosas, and a few fairly large spruce. It is a fascinating landscape.

After 15 minutes of touring, we kept on walking on a wide old Jeep road and started the hike. The first mile is relatively easy, since it is a smooth slope. After the 2 mile mark the mountain starts getting steeper with a few switchbacks. The higher you get, the better the views become. On the left we could see the mountain ranges and green forests. Wildflowers blooming cheerfully on the side of the trail provided a scenic view and added to the interesting points of the hike.

A metal sheet with holes.

After 3.5 miles we started to catch glimpses of the fire lookout tower on the top of the mountain to the north. Debbie and I were excited since we were getting closer. The last 1.3 miles was difficult, due to elevation changes and steep ascending.

The weather held up well. Although we saw many dark clouds above our heads, there was no rain to threaten our pleasant hike. The last 20 minutes of the hike to the top was even tougher since it is a sharp ascent. A metal sheet with holes was placed on the road to increase traction so cars can drive up to the top, where the lookout tower is. We finally reached the summit after about 5 miles of climbing.

This tree has been through a lot.

The descent is fairly easy compared to the climb. The weather helped, since the sun wasn’t directly shining on us. Clouds provided enough shade for us until the last 1.5 miles, when the sun started coming up. Because the trail was highly exposed we all felt how intense the heat was. Luckily the last mile is relatively flat. In no time we grouped again.

Everyone was hungry after the 10-mile hike so we headed to Beaver Street Brewery for a late lunch. The food service was great. We all enjoyed lunch and headed back to Phoenix around 4 PM. On the way home, we even stopped at Rock Spring for their famous yummy pie! Heather was satisfied with her chocolate pie as an after-dinner dessert!

What a beautiful day, with wonderful friends hiking along such magnificent mountains! I would like to repeat this hike again next year!